Foreclosures put pets in shelters, on streets

eldragon · Jan 25, 2008

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080125/lf_afp/uspropertyfinanceanimals

This is sad.

This happens in war-torn countries, too. When the family can't feed themselves, the pets are first to go.

Not a good sign.

joyce · Jan 25, 2008

That's really sad. I'd forgotten about the poor pets getting the boot when people lose their home.

Horseshoes · Jan 26, 2008

It is sad. The example in the story (people abandoning a pet by leaving it in a closet) reek of a person who is not a victim, but a bully.
It's hard to imagine people who would abandon their critter in a non-emergency situation having been decent pet owners in the first place.
I've 3 critters--all from shelters/rescue facilities. Fine, fine animals. It's amazing what is thrown away.

Dollywagon · Jan 26, 2008

You can't win in these situations. I was once in the position where I was about to be made homeless due to a landlord renting me a place illegally. All the authorities, housing associations, charities etc, told me to 'get rid' of my animals because then I could accept any type of accomodation and if I refused then they couldn't help because in effect I was making myself homeless.

Great society we have, eh?

joyce · Jan 26, 2008

Many moons ago I had the weirdest thing happen. Making a long, long story short..my ex husband drugged all our/my money away and suddenly my daughter and I were going to be homeless. I had a dog and couldn't find anyone to keep him while I moved in with the parents to get back on my feet (screw the ex). I took him to the Human Shelter and gave him up. My daughter and I cried our eyes almost out. 1.5 years later, I'm now on my feet, ridded myself of the ex, and my daughter and I decide to go to the pound to get another dog. My daughter who was 5 starts pulling on my shirt telling me "here's Shiek Mommy". I thought she was crazy until I look in this cage and here's this gray, filthy, matted dog jumping on the gate frantically. It was my dog I'd given up over a year earlier. He was so dirty I didn't recognize him, but he knew us. I adopted him back and let him live the rest of his life with me. I always thought someone in a higher authority was in charge of that happening.

heyjude · Jan 26, 2008

Joyce, what a story! That's amazing. I'm so glad you're happy together again!

eldragon · Jan 26, 2008

joyce said:
Many moons ago I had the weirdest thing happen. Making a long, long story short..my ex husband drugged all our/my money away and suddenly my daughter and I were going to be homeless. I had a dog and couldn't find anyone to keep him while I moved in with the parents to get back on my feet (screw the ex). I took him to the Human Shelter and gave him up. My daughter and I cried our eyes almost out. 1.5 years later, I'm now on my feet, ridded myself of the ex, and my daughter and I decide to go to the pound to get another dog. My daughter who was 5 starts pulling on my shirt telling me "here's Shiek Mommy". I thought she was crazy until I look in this cage and here's this gray, filthy, matted dog jumping on the gate frantically. It was my dog I'd given up over a year earlier. He was so dirty I didn't recognize him, but he knew us. I adopted him back and let him live the rest of his life with me. I always thought someone in a higher authority was in charge of that happening.

Unbelievable story! Incredible and wonderful!

Thanks for sharing!

KTC · Jan 26, 2008

That's beautiful, Joyce. I have goose-bumps all over reading that wonderful story. You know, Chicken soup is looking for dog lover stories right now...

I had no idea there was a crisis involving mortgages in the States. It is sad that these people who are already over-burdened are losing family members...terrible. Pets are indeed part of the family. Tragic, really.

KTC · Jan 26, 2008

Joyce...here's the link to the thread:

http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=89674

Horseshoes · Jan 26, 2008

Exactly, Joyce. If not ChickySloop, then somewhere, because that is a story to tell.

Hey Dolly, you wouldn't have shut your pooch in a closet and left him to starve...that's the kind of suddenly-homeless-what-to-ow/Fido response I'm knocking.

Dollywagon · Jan 26, 2008

Unfortunately Horseshoes, you get that kind of cruelty with or without mortgage foreclosures, although I'm sure that both here in the UK as well as the US it will now become a more prominent feature.

But, as in Joyce's tale, sometimes you are shifted from what appear to be the most normal of circumstances, into ones that mean you have to make the most heartbreaking decisions, and it's the so-called authorities that push you into it.

Incidentally, I didn't get rid of mine, but the alternative wasn't much fun.

Soccer Mom · Jan 29, 2008

Joyce, that is amazing and deserves to be told!

Foreclosures put pets in shelters, on streets

eldragon

in a van down by the river

joyce

I'm really shy...

Horseshoes

lisapreston.com

Dollywagon

joyce

I'm really shy...

heyjude

Making my own sunshine

eldragon

in a van down by the river

KTC

Stand in the Place Where You Live

KTC

Stand in the Place Where You Live

Horseshoes

lisapreston.com

Dollywagon

Soccer Mom

Crypto-fascist